Conveying apparatus



w. A. JOF'LIN 2,347,82

CONVEYING' APPARATUS Filed July 24, 1940 Patented May 2, 1944 V UNITED STATES PATENT CONVEYING APPARATUS Application July 24, 1940, Serial No. 341,171

Claims.

This invention relates to conveying apparatus and more particularly to apparatus for conveying and pressing the sealed tops and bottoms of cartons after they are delivered by a packaging machine.

The invention has for an object to provide novel and improved conveying apparatus for the purpose specified which is characterized particularly'by the angular disposition of the conveyor with respect to the position of the package in the packaging machine and further by the provision of transfer mechanism for transferring successive cartons after they have been sealed in the packaging machine into an inclined position in which the tops and bottoms of the cartons are substantially parallel to the top and bottom members of the conveyer.

With this general object in view and such others as may hereinafter appear, the invention consists in the conveying apparatus andin the various structures, arrangements and combinations of-parts hereinafter described and particularly defined in the claims at the end of this specification.

In the drawing illustrating the preferred ,embodimentrofthe inventiom l ig. 1 is a-view in side elevation illustrating-a sufficient portion of the conveyer and the pack-aging machine to enable the present invention to be understood; Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail in elevation illustrating the transfer mechanism and itsr relationito both the packaging machine and the conveyor of which it forms a part; and Fig.3 is a detailrinplan of a portion of the transfer ;mechanism and .conveyer.

In 'the packagi-ngof various commodities it is oftentimes desirable to deliver the completed package from the packaging machine into a conveyer disposed-at an'angle with relation'to the horizontal, and ofth-e type embodying upper and lower belts forexerting continued pressurejupon the top and-bottom of the sealed carton. Thus attimes it is desirable to convey the completed packages to a succeeding floor either above or below that at which the packagin-g machine is located. In the'usu'altype of packaging'machine now commercially employed, the pack ges are held by holding members usually arranged to hold the package in ayertical position, "and in order to p operly present-the package for reception between the upper and lower *belts of an inclined conveyor of the character specified, provision ismade in accordance-withthepresent invention for automatically swinging the -package from" its vertical-position into aposition where the ends of the package lie planes substantially parallel to the planes of the adjacentruns of the carton engaging belts, so that as the package is introduced between the "belts, minimum liability exists for jamming and otherwise distorting the package as would otherwise be the case if the package were not thus properly presented.

Referring now to thedrawing which illustrates the preferred embodiment of he invention, jlll represents a packaging machine having an in termittently rotatable disk [2 provided with a plurality of carton holding members or pockets i4 mounted thereon. The cartons 16 are held in a vertical position in the pockets and .in the operation of the "machine, the cartons are successively presented to the various instrumentalities of the packaging machine for filling, .closing and adhesively sealing the cartons. When the completed carton is presented to-th rejecting station, indicated generally at 20, provision is made for transferring the ,carton from the pocket'to a-dryer or conveyer,;indicated generally at 22, which comprises a pair of spaced, superposed elongated belts 24, '26 arranged to apply continuous pressure upon the ends of the carton to firmly set the adhesively sealed flaps of the carton'while the adhesive is drying and during the conveyance thereof to the point of delivery.

In the illustrated embodimentof theinvention.

the dryer 22 is inclined upwardlyat an angle with respect to the horizontallevel of the packaging machine in order that the cartons may be de livered to a different level, such as up to a packing room located on the floor above. As herein shown, the receiving end of the dryer may be supported from the packaging machine by a bracket 30 and the delivery end maybe supported from above by aceiling bracket Bland a bracket 35 attached to the dryer frame, The

upper belt Qiis arranged ,to run over a driving pulley and idler pulley 38 disposed at either end of the conveyer and supporte din theupner framework 43 of the'dryer. Guide rolls 412, 4,4, 46 may also be-provided for the upperbelt 24, and an intermediate idler roll :48 is adaptedto be adjusted to provide the proper tension in the belt. Pressure is directed against-thetop of :the lower run of the belt 24 by-a serieslof weighted rollers 50 which may be journaled in the .upper frame 46. The lower belt 26 maybe similarly mounted to run overa driving pulley 5'2 and, an idler 54 supported in-the ,lower framework '56, the upper-run of the belt being supported alone its underside by a plurality of rollers 58. The belts 24, 26 have their entrance ends disposed adjacent to but spaced from the carton holding member l4 and are arranged to be driven from a motor 60 mounted on the bracket 34. Connections from the motor 60 to the driving pulleys 36, 52 include sprocket and chain connections 62, 64 as clearly illustrated in Fig. 1;

In accordance with the present invention, provision is made for transferring the carton from I its vertical position in the carton supporting" pocket I i into a position between the entrance ends of the angularly disposed parallelpressure belts 24 and 26 of the dryeror conveyor in'a manner such as to present the ends of the carton posed substantially parallel with said adjacent 7 runs of said belts, said transfer means including substantially parallel to said belts.- As herein shown, the transferring member comprises hook shaped arms"), 12 arranged to be moved into the path of the carton as it is intermittently moved into operative position with relation to the re jecting' station, and 'which engage the carton above" and below the carton holding member [4 as'illustrated in Figs. 2' and 3. The transfer members Ill, 12 are mounted upon a carriage 14 provided with rollers '16 and which is arranged to, be moved along a curvedguidebarm through connections from an operating cam 89. The operating cam 80 is mounted fast on a cam shaft 82 forming part 'of the packaging machine and the connections from the cam to the movable carriage include a link 84 connected to 'onearm86 of a'jbell-crank pivotally mounted on a stud 88 fast in a bracket!!!) attached to the lower frame 56 of the dryer. The second arm 92 ofthe-be1lcrank is connected by a link :94 to one arm 96 of a cam lever,'the second arm 98 being provided with a cam roll I cooperating with the closed cam 80.' -As herein shown, the curved or arcuate guide bar 18 is'supported'by side bars IOZ, I64 attached to the dryer frame,an d,in operation, the carriage i4 is 'niovedfrom the position shown in full lines in Fig 2to the dotted line position shown therein tofswing the carton from its vertical position to an inclined position presenting the ends of the carton substantiallyparallel to the pressure belts 24, 23. Suitable upper and lower guide rails $06, Hi8 secured to the dryer fr'ameand disposed in a plane substantially level with the lower runof belt 24 and the upper run'of belt 26, respectively,

7 may be provided in order to support the ends of the'carton during the transferring operation.

From the abeve 'description'of the preferred embodiment of "theinveritien, itwill be under-. stood that the invention may take 'diiierent forms and 'may be used with advantage in those instances where it is desired to' convey the com: pleted carton from the packaging machine to a difierent level. andfthat the"transferring device 'isadapted'to mange the position of the carton from'its vertical'position in the packaging machine to an angular position topresent the ends of the carton substantially parallel to the con} veying apparatus. H v M e v "While the referred emplace ent of the nve tion has been herein illustrated and described, it will be understood 'th'at the invention may be embodiedin other forms within the scope of the followingclaims. l; I Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is: 7

TlIL'Ihe combination with a rotary packaging machineprovided with a cartonholding member, having" provision for operatively supporting a carin a vertical position, of an elongated conveyer comprising "a pair of spaced, superposed carton engaging' means and means for moving said carton engaging means in a curved path between said carton holding member and said belts.

2. The combination with a rotary packaging 7 machine having a plurality of pockets mounted to rotate therewith and adapted to operatively support packages in a vertical position,of;an angularly disposedconveyer ji OI conveying said packages to aposition at a differentelevation, said conveyer including two spaced, superposed conveyer belts having their adjacent runs parallel and between which said packages are adapted to be received, the entrance ends of said beltsbeing disposed adjacent to but spaced from a given pocket; transfer means carried by said conveyer for swinging a package through said space between said given pocket and said ends of said belts and simultaneously tilting said package from its vertical position into an inclined position for reception between said belts so that the ends of said package are disposed substantially parallel with said adjacent runs of said belts, said transfer means including hook-shaped arm means arranged to engage a package while it isivertically supported in said given pocket,

. means for moving said arm means in an arc, and

means lying in a plane substantially level with the upper run of the lower conveyer belt for supporting said package at the bottom thereof during transfer.

3. The combination witha rotary packaging machine provided with a carton holding'member having provision for operatively supporting a carton in a vertical position, of an elongated conveyer comprising a pair of spaced, superposed carton engaging belts having their adjacent runs parallel, the entrance ends of said belts being disposed adjacent to but spaced from said carton holding member, said conveyer being angularly disposed with respect to said carton as the latter is held by said carton holding member and being adapted to convey said carton to a different elevation; andmeans' operatively arranged relative holding member to a position between said belts with said carton inclined so that the ends of said carton are disposed substantially-parallel with said adjacent runs of 'saidbelts, said transfer means including'a pairv of carton engaging arms adapted, to Zen-gage a, carton whiledt is supported in said'carton holding member, a movablecarriage, "said arms being mounted upon said carriage, means ineluding a cam-for moving said ca'rriageand said arms in a curved path,

and means engageab'le by'fth'e bottom of said,

carton for supporting said carton during such movement. v i

4. The combination with a rotary pac a i machine having a plurality of pockets mounted angularly disposed conveyer for conveying said packages to a position at a diiferent elevation, said conveyer including two spaced, superposed conveyer belts having their adjacent runs parallel and between which said package is adapted to be received, the entrance end of said conveyer being spaced from said pocket; and transfer means operatively arranged relative to said con veyer and said carton holding member for swinging a package from its vertical position through the space between said entrance end of said conveyer and said pocket and into an inclined position for reception between said belts with the ends of said package disposed substantially parallel with said adjacent runs of said belts, said transfer means including a pair of hookshaped arms arranged to engage a side of said package adjacent the upper and lower ends thereof while said package is supported in said pocket, means for guiding said arms for movement in a curved path, means for moving said arms in said curved path, and means engageable by the bottom of said package for supporting said package during transfer.

5. The combination With a rotary packaging machine provided with a carton holding member having provision for operatively supporting a carton in vertical position, of an elongated conveyer comprising a pair of spaced, superposed carton engaging belts having their adjacent runs parallel, said conveyer being angularly disposed with respect to said carton as the latter is held by said carton holding member and being arranged to convey said carton to a difi'erent elevation, the entrance end of said conveyer being disposed adjacent to but spaced from said carton holding member; and means carried by said conveyer for transferring said carton from said carton holding member to an inclined position between said belts with the ends of said carton disposed substantially parallel with said adjacent WILLIAM A. JOPLIN. 

